Museum of the Swiss Charters of Confederation, Schwyz, Switzerland

The Museum of the Swiss Charters of Confederation (Bundesbriefmuseum) was built in 1936 as a national shrine for the Federal Charter of 1291, which was believed to be the founding document of the Swiss Confederation. Today, the museum explains the national myth and the actual history of the Old Swiss Confederacy. It features a collection of original documents and flags.

The overwhelming Spiritual national defence of this period vanished over time. The Federal Charter of 1291 is no longer seen as Switzerland's founding document. Other documents have been given equal importance. Beginning with the exhibition design of 1999, the museum began to integrate the latest historical findings. Since 2014, the myth surrounding the Federal Charter is an important part of the current permanent exhibition, while the architectural setting of the 1930s remains present.

References:

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Museums in Switzerland

User Reviews

Virginia Sigrist (3 years ago)
Great museum & very friendly staff! Worth a visit!!

Peter Keller (3 years ago)
The original earliest treaties which lay the foundation of the Swiss confederation can be seen here. There are also a number of touch-screens explaining in great detail the origins and early history of the Swiss confederation (in German, French Italian and English). Very instructive if you want to understand exactly how the Swiss confederation came into place. Nothing very spectacular though - no arms, no armors, no battle scenes or anything alike.

thomas weber (3 years ago)
A „must“ place for people living in Switzerland! We visited with 3 teenagers. They liked to see the „real“ Bundesbrief, they knew theoretically from school! We also found the answer to the question where and how the Swiss flags comes from and why it is the only flag in the world that is a square! And you see why the flag of Canton Schwyz(SZ) is similar but different! Many things to see and learn or refresh. Nice garden outside. Place in easy 5min-walk reach from busstation „Zentrum“. We spent 90 minutes in total!

Kristóf Szabados (3 years ago)
Amazing presentation. Just the necessary information, but enough to understand.

Maria Alice Keller (3 years ago)
We went to see the many contracts that the confederates signed to strengthen their alliances along the decades. We were not disappointed. The murals are very interesting too. We had audioguides, but every piece of the exhibition has its own text.

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